Portable audio devices are well known and take many forms. These include AM and FM radios, audio tape players, and digital audio players such as iPod and MP3 players. The content of the players may be live or prerecorded on suitable media used to listen to popular or classical music or recorded books. The audio players are usually transported by carrying in the pocket, or attaching them to a belt or by strapping them to the arm. A mono or stereo connector jack is inserted into an audio output receptacle on the portable audio device. From there an electrical cord leads to an earphone headset or to small individual ear buds incorporating tiny loudspeakers placed in the ears. In some cases, an earphone headset is used to directly carry an integrated audio device without an interconnecting cord.
Many users prefer an audio device with a plug-in jack attached to an electrical cord running to ear buds or to an earphone headset. In the case of ear buds, the cord branches into two segments leading to individual buds for the left and right ears or to ear buds mounted on either side of a headset. If the audio device is equipped for stereo sound, one earphone and one branch segment of the connection cord is used for each stereo track, and merge at a junction into a common twin wired segment connected to a stereo plug-in jack.
The presence of the electrical cord is a great annoyance, because movement of the head with respect to the body of the user in cases where the audio device is pocketed or strapped in place causes the cord to intermittently contact the face or neck. Turning the head tightens one of the branch cords which can pull out one ear bud. Also the weight of the cord or catching of the cord in clothing or on external objects causes pulling against the connector jack or the audio device, which can cause both of the ear buds to become dislodged. This is disconcerting because it interrupts listening to the music or book as the audio device continues to run while the ear buds are being re-positioned.
Another annoyance is that movement of the wires against the face or clothing can create noise or static which is heard in the ear buds along with the audio program, degrading the listening experience.
In order to eliminate the annoyance of electrical cords touching the body or becoming entangled in clothing, several authors have suggested adapting headgear, such as caps, visors or headbands to carry speakers or to function with audio devices connected to ear buds, thereby shortening or eliminating the electrical cords connecting the ear buds to the audio device. Some of these prior art suggestions are described below in a listing which is exemplary, but not necessarily all-inclusive.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,619 issued Sep. 5, 1989 to Spates shows headphone speakers built into a soft resilient headband connected via a cord leading from the back of the headband to a stereo jack. The audio device is not shown in the patent but it is suggested that the jack might be “connectable to any small stereophonic audio reproduction system that may be integrated with, or directly attached to, the headband-headphone assembly”.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,698 issued Aug. 1, 1995 to Burton et al. describe a wearable audio device removably attached to an enclosure that, in turn, is removably attached to the back of a headband. The enclosure contains an electrical connecting cord (looped back and forth to serve as a radio antenna) extending from a plug-in jack to a pair of ear buds. The volume, tuning and off-on controls are exposed for manual operation removing the radio.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,160 issued Mar. 9, 1999 to Sheppard discloses a cap with a support bracket positioned inside the cap holding a tape player inside the crown electrically connected on opposite sides to speakers disposed in small ear pieces hanging from the lower edge of the cap. The settings and adjustments of the tape player must be made before the cap is put on and the speakers put in place.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,044,615 issued May 16, 2006 to Gesten discloses a billed cap with an audio device built into the bill. Speakers, controls and a visual display are on the underside of the bill. No ear buds are disclosed.
Pending patent application 2006/0251283, published Nov. 9, 2006 to Yeh discloses a bag for holding an audio device such as an MP3 player. The bag is equipped with stereo jack connected to ear buds that may be retracted up to the bag, either with a winding reel or with a pull cord. In one embodiment the bag is mounted inside a cap. The audio device is connected to the stereo jack and inserted into the bag.
Pending patent application 2007/0226876, published Oct. 4, 2007 to Foust et al discloses a cap with pockets for carrying an MP3 player and the associated wires. One of the pockets holds the audio device and a separate pocket holds the wires. The wires are bundled on a mandrel that is inserted into the wire pocket.
One disadvantage in all of the foregoing devices that employ ear buds is the inability to see and manipulate the controls of the audio device while wearing the headgear and listening to the audio device through the ear buds. It is very difficult to properly select the audio content (music or voice) to be heard and to adjust the volume unless the controls and display can be seen and manipulated while listening to the audio content.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide headgear especially adapted for connecting, adjusting, docking and listening to a portable audio device.
Another object of the invention is to provide headgear especially adapted to carry an audio device and to connect it for listening and manipulating the controls of the audio device in the field of vision of a user while wearing the headgear.
Still another object is to eliminate the annoyance of electrical wires attached to ear buds that touch the face and neck of a user or cause noise or static caused by rubbing of the wires against the body or clothing.